Pine Beetle Control in Northern Alberta.

CANADA | Sunday, 23 June 2013 | Views [600] | View Smaller Image

In order to kill the beetle, which burrows in between the bark and the cambiam of pine tree, all of the bark must be burnt off the trees. Around 25,000 British Columbian families have either lost their primary income, are at risk of doing so, or have been otherwise effected due to the effects of the pine beetle on the forest industry.

Tags: mountain, pine, beetle, infestation, alberta, british columbia, photography, helicopter, forestry, epidemic

A worker retrieves a choker cable from a pile of trees infested with Mountain Pine Beetle that has been piled, waiting to be burnt, in an effort to control the epidemic sweeping across western Canada. Mountain Pine Beetle has already killed approximately 18.1 million hectares of pine forest in British Columbia.

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A pine beetle control worker stands as close to the fire as he can in order to stay warm. The pine beetle life-cycle lasts one year; it will lay its eggs in the early summer before dying, the eggs will hatch and the larvae will then burrow further in the bark before going dormant for the winter months. This life-cycle means that all control efforts must take place during the coldest months of winter in order to get the trees while the larvae is still inside. Winters in Northern Alberta can quite frequently drop below -40.

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Pine Beetle Control in Northern Alberta.

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